If you’ve been part of The Kachet Life fam for a while, you know that I’m a fan of wine. More than a fan. Wine is a part of my life. It’s something I enjoy with friends, whether they’re at my table or on the phone catching up. I also love to enjoy a glass of still or sparkling at home to celebrate everyday moments. Maybe one day I’ll take my affinity to the next level, but for now, I’ll take every chance I get to work with different vintners, and when our individual brands seem to be dancing to the same music, it makes my heart happy. Sean Minor Wines is one of those brands. I was so thrilled to put together a dinner with some of my friends to enjoy their wines and create new memories as we embraced the season!

About Sean Minor Wines

Sean Minor Wines has been producing wine for the past 14 years. Headquartered in Sacramento, their model is simple: they don’t own vineyards, but they do have strong relationships with some of the best growers in California and Oregon. This allows them to produce quality wine at an approachable price. Their wines are made in a way that truly represents their labeled varietal and expresses the different aspects of each.  Just take a look at their lineup! We were able to enjoy several varietals with Sean and Nicole (who’s the Director of Sales & Marketing) leading the way.

Dinner with the Minor’s

Having dinner with Sean and Nicole brought the brand to life in the best possible way!  They are so kind and truly passionate about what they do. Hearing the brand story – and watching them watch each other as they told it – really gave us an appreciation for the journey they’ve taken personally and professionally to be able to create their own label and bring their love for incredible wines to the masses. I was also so excited to hear the story of how they met and how that’s led them to where they are today. The entrepreneur in me loves that they noticed a gap in the market –and decided to fill it. I also love that family stays a big part of their brand (their children’s initials grace the back of every bottle).

At the sunset dinner, my guests and I enjoyed the following wines:

• 2018 California Rosé
  • Pro tip: Take a note from us and serve this to your guests as they arrive.
• 2017 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
• 2017 Pinot Noir Sangiacomo – Roberts Road Vineyard
• 2017 Nicole Marie, named after Nicole, of course, is a red wine blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Petite Sirah and 25% Zinfandel. It is my favorite

What’s even more exciting is that at the dinner, the Minor’s announced that some of their wines were recently recognized by Sunset Magazine! The Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Roberts Road received 94 points and the California Sauvignon Blanc received 93 points. While the Sauvignon Blanc wasn’t part of the dinner pairing, everyone was able to take some home. Oh, yeah!

Tips to Recreate the Experience

I’m sharing some tips to get your own soiree’s with Sean Minor Wines in motion. With Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations on the horizon, you can totally pull off a fabulous meal without stressin’ yourself out.

Choose one color of the season and run with it!

Mustard was the anchor color for the dinner. I went to the fabric store to get a few yards of a solid cotton blend and with a little scrunching once laid on the table, it was perfectly imperfect. Printed greeting cards on each place setting brought it all together. Since this event was an introduction to the brand, the backside of the card had all of the social media handles and hashtags, but yours could have a beautiful affirmation, ice breaker, or even a simple nametag.

Save Time By Purchasing Semi-Homemade

You do not have to prepare everything from scratch. To identify where you can “cheat” a little, you have to devise your dinner plan. What will be your starters, mains, and sides? Will you have dessert? Write it all down. I ended up visiting one of my favorite premium grocers to help with some of the heavy lifting, as I know their deli and kitchen chefs are spectacular. Many of them have worked in top restaurants in the region and we’re so lucky to have access to them. The farm-to-table offerings are unmatched, so I grabbed some herbed salmon, chicken meatballs and Brussel sprouts with lemon and almonds to complement the other dishes I had.

Don’t be afraid to task your guests

More often than not friends ask if they can bring anything or do anything to help. If you truly need the assistance, you better put your pride aside and take it. While I had laid the foundation for a very delightful evening, I knew outsourcing the styling of specific charcuterie platters would save me time and overthinking. Same thing with flowers. A couple of Pinterest pins later (I’m talking about this one and this one) and the rest is history!

Keep Your Guests Entertained (and book Sean As Talent).

No, seriously, he and Nicole are both so personal and entertaining that your guests would enjoy every single second with them. I don’t think they do house calls, but if you’re serious about it, I’d send them a note with your idea. If you’re going to have wine and conversation, you don’t need too much else going on but add an entertainment element. I love conversation cards paired with a great playlist. Kitchen Swagger on Spotify STAYS ON REPEAT in my house, whether I’m entertaining or not. You’re welcome. If you are really going big, look into hiring an acoustic guitarist or soloist to set the mood as you dine under the golden glow.

Enjoy some more pictures from the dinner. It was an honor to put it together from concept to completion, and as you can see, a good time was had by all. My heart is still so full!

Where to Find Sean Minor Wines

You can find Sean Minor Wines at restaurants and grocery stores in 49 states and on seanminorwines.com. For regular entertaining inspiration, recipes and to get more Sean + Nicole, follow them on Instagram and Facebook, too! You may see a few familiar faces in the coming days.

If you’re a wine lover like I am, look into their wine club, where you will receive a quarterly shipment with wines personally selected by Sean and Nicole. With the holiday season practically here, their membership also makes a fantastic gift, one that you can grab in your pj’s. The next shipment is in December. Just sayin! 🙂

I can’t wait to see how you bring your celebrations of one or 100 to life, and hopefully with some Sean Minor in your glass.

xo Cheers!

Vendor List:

Photos: Christina Best Photography

Floral + Styling Assistance: Host Creative

Charcuterie Platters: Cellar Door Platters

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